“COVID-19 no longer classified as pandemic after 3 years”

After three years and two months, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that COVID-19 is no longer a pandemic. WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, shared during a news conference that the virus took the lives of around 20 million people globally. However, there have been fewer COVID-19 fatalities in recent months.

Tedros explained that the pandemic has been on a downward trend for over a year, and with increased population immunity from vaccinations and past infections, the mortality rate has decreased. Thus, the pressure on health systems has also lessened. Such a promising situation, according to Tedros, has enabled many countries worldwide to return to their pre-pandemic way of life.

While Tedros confirmed that the WHO Emergency Committee suggested ending the COVID-19 global health emergency, he clarified that this does not mean COVID-19 is no longer a global health threat. Even though this announcement is a significant milestone in the battle against COVID-19, countries still need to maintain their precautionary measures to keep infections from resurging.

In light of the good news, people worldwide have expressed their relief and joy over social media platforms across the globe. Many people are now enthusiastically looking forward to having a more reassuring future.

On Friday, leaders worldwide also shared their congratulations to the scientific community, healthcare professionals, and the general public for their superhuman fight against the pandemic. However, the leaders emphasized that the battle against COVID-19 is far from over and exhorted everyone to continue with their efforts in maintaining basic health protocols to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In the meantime, WHO advised countries worldwide to strive continuously to improve their healthcare systems and move forward to provide equal access to vaccines. This is essential, particularly in areas where vaccinations have lagged and become a barrier for people’s overall health and wellbeing.